Heavy storms, rain expected in France after heatwave

PARIS

The forecast Tuesday was for a “risk of violent phenomena” with heavy rains and storms after a recent heatwave, according to the official Meteo France weather service.

Five departments in the southwest region --Aude, Aveyron, Gard, Herault and Tarn -- are on an orange alert for the risk of thunderstorms. Stormy showers are also expected in Paris and the Ile de France region, Hauts de France, Occitanie, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and by night in Provences-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur.

“A stormy degradation is predicted in the south-west region … accompanied by strong electrical activity, heavy hail storms, and heavy accumulations of precipitation,” according to the forecast.

Weather disturbances and severe thunderstorms will continue Wednesday, especially in the southeast with strong wind gusts and heavy hailstorms. Other parts of the country will see heavy rainfall.

Until last week, much of the country was affected by the heatwave and high temperatures, as well as drought conditions.

The thunderstorms, coupled with the ongoing drought and the heatwave last week, are of concern for flooding, said experts.

As the topsoil is dry due to the drought, very little water is likely to get absorbed and most of it is going to run off and sit at low points, leading to floods, agriculture and climate expert Serge Zaka told FranceInfo.

This kind of flooding phenomenon is common in September, however, weather disturbances this year have caused it earlier.